Young Alex Power of Power Pack fame offers up an inclusive blessing for dinner with the Fantastic Four and crew in FF #1 (Marvel, 2011). Try it at your next family gathering!
a holiday prayer for everyone
02 Monday Nov 2020
Posted in superhero
Tag Archives: Fantastic Four
Spectacular Spider-man 21
14 Saturday Mar 2015
Tags
Doctor Strange, Fantastic Four, Kingpin, Paul Jenkins, poker, Spectacular Spider-man, Spider-man
Spider-man was our first great superhero enthusiasm and this is one of our favorite stories of his. It has no big fights between men in tights and other misfit miscreants of science. It merely shows a poker game, and a few old friends telling funny stories.
You can buy it as Spectacular Spider-man #21 (Marvel Comics, 2005). If you buy the otherwise awesome Spectacular Spider-man TPB collections, you will discover they omitted this issue from the paperbacks.
This isn’t a comic book you give to someone who has never read comics before. This material assumes you know and like these characters already. It gives you a chance to spend an evening shooting the breeze with a few of your favorite Marvel superheroes. Paul Jenkins spent his Spider-man run exploring Peter’s psychological and emotional landscape. But here, at the end of his run, he leaves us with something lighthearted. And for that, it qualified for runner up in our second round of Top Ten favorite single issues of all-time.
marvel collector’s item classics
07 Saturday Mar 2015
Posted in superhero
Today we share with you some photos and scans of three ancient issues of Marvel Collector’s Item Classics, which later became Marvel’s Greatest Comics (a Fantastic Four reprint series). Copies in rough shape like this are not exactly rare. We got them mixed in with lots back when we built a Marvel’s Greatest Comics collection. We read these anthology reprint titles when we were just wee martians at Gramma’s place on holiday, so they always elicit a warm emotion that has little to do with the literary or artistic quality of the stories. At age forty-two, we find them harder to read as a story than we did at age seven, but quite enjoyable to flip through casually.
Behold.
John Byrne Fantastic Four Collection
23 Thursday Jan 2014
Posted in superhero
Although he had drawn a few issues of Marvel’s Fantastic Four for other writers, John Byrne made his mark on the title by writing and drawing more than sixty issues in the 1980s. In addition to the regular series, he also worked on several Annuals, including an Avengers Annual that forms a two-part story about the Skrulls.
Byrne also contributed a story to What If, exploring a version of the FF that never got superpowers. With its tribute cover to FF #1 and conceptual similarity to Challengers of the Unknown, What If #36 demonstrates Byrne’s Kirby influence almost as much as his OMAC story.
True completists should note that Byrne stuck around for a few issues longer than what we now consider his run on the title. He earned credits for plot while the next creative team got started – a team including his collaborator on several other Marvel projects, writer Roger Stern. Although this smoothed the transition for monthly readers at the time, it definitely isn’t Byrne’s title at that point.
But a comic book like this takes a team. The lettering, coloring, and inking on this run remain consistently excellent. Drawn to this book by Byrne’s contributions, I soon realized it worked so well because of other subtle superiorities: the flow of word balloons made more sense on the page, the colors complemented and amplified the artwork instead of obscuring it, and the rendering of Byrne’s pencils seemed better than some other places. As a young reader, it made me start paying more attention to who was doing what in comics.
That’s not to say such a landmark collaborative team had never come together before. Just that as a reader, I started to notice it then. And give me a break – I was only about 12 or 13! About the time the Hate Monger comes along and makes Sue chop off her hair, I was old enough to have a small allowance and a bicycle. That meant I could get to the local Walgreens, which had a great selection of Marvel and DC for a drug store, and buy a few titles every month.
In those days, comic specialty shops and mail order offered opportunities to collect back issues. But I wouldn’t be able to go that route until a few years after Byrne wrapped up his run and I had my first summer job as a golf caddy. Even then, armed with dozens of dollars that felt like hundreds at the time and storming the local comic shop weekly, I never did get to collect the entire run.
Only years later, thanks to a great deal on eBay, did I get a chance to sit down for a weekend or two and read the entire thing start to finish. As far as superhero comics go, it is awesome. It earns its legendary status!
Fans agree, and just a couple years ago Marvel published the run in omnibus format, as two big books. I will be keeping my eyes peeled for a deal on those. Why? After patching up a few holes in the collection for completeness and enjoying owning this run, I sold it on eBay. I got a little less cash out of it than I put it in, but that’s a small price to pay for knowing the pleasure of this truly fantastic series. When things turn around here, I will be looking for a used copy of that Omnibus. You can bet your cosmic rays on that!
If you want to see some great scenes from this run, just wander into my archives for a while and start scrolling!
Collector’s Guide:
The Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus comes in two volumes:
Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus Volume One
Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus Volume Two
The Omnibuses include some other extras, such as The Last Galactus Story from Epic Illustrated #26-34.
If you want to collect the single issues: Fantastic Four #232-293. You might want to include Fantastic Four Annual #17-19, Avengers Annual #14, and What If #36.
Do Not Panic!
09 Monday Dec 2013
Posted in science fiction
Tags
alien, Fantastic Four, Mars, Martian, Steve Ditko, Strange Tales
This great Steve Ditko short story comes from Strange Tales #95. Steve’s splash pages for these stories just rock our world. What great posters they would make!
Dr. Doom Steals the Power Cosmic!
19 Friday Jul 2013
Posted in superhero
Dr. Doom, you ruthless bastard. You parasite. You… Wait. Did you really siphon the Power Cosmic from the Silver Surfer in a wicked splash of Kirby Krackle?! Doom, you’re alright after all.
Also in this issue: an early splash page where Jack Kirby rocks his modern art style in the disguise of fantastic machinery!
Collector’s Guide: From Fantastic Four #57; Marvel, 1968. Part One of Four.
Iain’s Silver Surfer Painting
18 Thursday Jul 2013
Posted in superhero
Artist Iain Carstairs guest-authored a series here on Jack Kirby entitled Persistence of Spiritual Vision. We had discussed our mutual Kirby interest and the idea of painting using aspects of Kirby’s style. While I ran off to put Kirby Krackle on everything, Iain created this enlargement of a panel from the Fantastic Four. Â
Here is a detail.
At the time, I was working on a mini-comic about dinosaurs in space. So, I was thrilled to find this additional sketch on the back of the canvas, clearly inspired by Kirby’s Devil Dinosaur.
The Beginning of Adam Warlock!
18 Thursday Jul 2013
Posted in superhero
Adam Warlock began his career at Marvel as part of a mad experiment in Fantastic Four #66 and #67. We knew this much from Jim Starlin’s recap when he took over Warlock in the 1970s. But, it wasn’t until more recently we got our hands on reprints of this tale in Marvel’s Greatest Comics #49 and #50. Jack Kirby’s artwork on Warlock’s first appearance knocks us out!
Venom: Gotta Love That Nasty Tongue!
16 Thursday May 2013
Posted in superhero
The first ten issues of the 2003 Venom series raise more questions than they answer. An extra-violent version of the Venom symbiote gets free from an Arctic laboratory, spreading mayhem and destruction as he goes. But if this isn’t the Eddie Brock Venom, what is it?
Issue #11 begins to bring in all the back story and reveal the insidious plot behind this new Venom. Here, we have the opening scene where the Fantastic Four and Spider-man round up the Brock symbiote. In all the excitement, they leave behind a big chunk of Venom’s nasty tongue. And someone else decides to take it home.
Collector’s Guide: From Venom #11; Marvel, 2003-2004. Story by Daniel Way. Pencils by Francisco Herrera, cover by Mike Deodato.
Who Could be Playing the Piano So Beautifully?
19 Tuesday Mar 2013
Posted in superhero
Who Could be Playing the Piano so Beautifully? WHO BUT DR. DOOM!!!
Yes, we love it when Dr. Doom takes a moment from sociopathic megalomania to pursue the finer things in life. In this scene from John Byrne’s Fantastic Four, Sue Richards comes across Doom in one of his more artistic moments. Escaping from yet another one of his sick traps and sneaking through his castle, she finds out that Doom can really tickle the ivories!
Collector’s Guide:
– From Fantastic Four #236.
– Reprinted in the Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus
Ego the Living Planet! John Byrne’s Fantastic Four
18 Friday May 2012
Posted in science fiction, superhero
Tags
brains, Ego the Living Planet, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four By John Byrne Omnibus, John Byrne, The Thing
John Byrne created some of the most memorable Fantastic Four epics during his run on Fantastic Four #232-292 and Annuals #17-19. We will share with you a few of our favorites. With five years of work to pick from, it wasn’t easy choosing just a handful!
Today’s Feature: Ego – The Living Planet! Taking the reins of the World’s Greatest Comic Magazine with #234, Byrne wasted zero time getting our adventurers into the most cosmic kinds of trouble he could imagine. Here, they take on a planet with a huge brain that’s gone horribly insane. Guess who gets stuck lugging a modified rocket engine down to the brain in the planet’s core to blow it all to smithereens? You bet your Aunt Petunia — it’s the ever-lovin’ blue eyed Thing! Whatta Revoltin’ Development!
Collector’s Guide:
– From Fantastic Four # 232-235.
– Reprinted in the Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus – Volume 1
– Byrne’s run spans Fantastic Four #232-292 and Annuals #17-19.
This Land is Mine! John Byrne’s Fantastic Four
17 Thursday May 2012
Posted in superhero
John Byrne created some of the most memorable Fantastic Four epics during his run on Fantastic Four #232-292 and Annuals #17-19. We will share with you a few of our favorites. With five years of work to pick from, it wasn’t easy choosing just a handful!
Today’s feature: This Land is Mine! Dr. Doom captures the Fantastic Four to explain that ever since they kicked him out of Latveria, the whole country has gone to hell!
Mark Millar more recently paints a completely evil portrait of Doom. Byrne, on the other hand, made him a more complex character by revealing the deep love he had for his homeland and the people there. We always enjoy this scene where a woman from Latveria is thrilled to see the return of Doom! Yes! But don’t get too lovey-dovey with the man in the iron mask. The boy he saves when the woman is killed? Later, Doom erases the boy’s mind so he can store his own consciousness there. Dude, what an evil $#%&-er!
Collector’s Guide:
– From Fantastic Four #246 & #247
– Reprinted in the Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus – Volume 1, 2011.
– Byrne’s run spans Fantastic Four #232-292 and Annuals #17-19.
Trial of Reed Richards! John Byrne’s Fantastic Four
15 Tuesday May 2012
Posted in science fiction, superhero
Tags
Assistant Editor's Month, Eternity, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four By John Byrne Omnibus, Galactus, John Byrne, Trial of Reed Richards
John Byrne created some of the most memorable Fantastic Four epics during his run on Fantastic Four #232-292 and Annuals #17-19. We will share with you a few of our favorites. With five years of work to pick from, it wasn’t easy choosing just a handful!
Today’s feature: The Trial of Reed Richards! In an earlier issue, Reed saved the life of Galactus. The other heroes had some misgivings, but they all chipped in to build a giant framistat powered by Thor’s hammer. (It’s comic book science.)
The Big G showed his thanks by not eating Earth, but soon proceeded to eat some other perfectly nice planets! The Shi’ar — the X-Men’s intergalactic pen pals — are so ticked off that they put Reed on trial for aiding and abetting a world-eater. Odin shows up to drop some knowledge about the Origin of Galactus, along with the Watcher and Eternity himself! Are you ready for the cosmic truth to be revealed?
Note: This story came out in Assistant Editor’s Month. Lots of goofy stuff happened that month. Byrne used it as an excuse to insert himself into the story, going on an interstellar mission to report on the FF’s adventures firsthand. His (assistant) editor hears the tale and thinks John might be smoking too many of his own pencil shavings! Read more about Assistant Editor’s Month at a blog dedicated solely to it.
Collector’s Guide: From Fantastic Four #262. Reprinted in the Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus – Volume 1, 2011. Byrne’s run spans Fantastic Four #232-292 and Annuals #17-19.
Galactus Eats the Skrull Home World!
14 Monday May 2012
Posted in science fiction
Tags
Death, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four By John Byrne Omnibus, Galactus, John Byrne, Nova, Skrull Homeworld, Skrulls
John Byrne created some of the most memorable Fantastic Four epics during his run on Fantastic Four #232-292 and Annuals #17-19. We will share with you a few of our favorites. With five years of work to pick from, it wasn’t easy choosing just a handful!
Today’s Feature: Fragments! Galactus is always a huge hit here on Mars. But what Galactus collection would be complete without the story of the day he devoured the Skrull Homeworld?! Few cosmic moments bring us as much joy as watching the Big G eat an entire planet.
And let’s face it, the Skrulls are scum. Nova made a great pick of all the possible planets out there to have for lunch. Featuring a special guest appearance by… Death!
Collector’s Guide: From Fantastic Four #257. Reprinted in the Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus – Volume 1, 2011. Byrne’s run spans Fantastic Four #232-292 and Annuals #17-19.
I Was Torn Limb from Limb at the Dawn of Time!
22 Thursday Mar 2012
Posted in dinosaur, science fiction, superhero
Tags
Bryan Hitch, dinosaur, Dr. Doom, Fantastic Four, Joe Ahearne, Mark Millar, Stuart Immomen, time travel
Yesterday we saw Dr. Doom get his evil butt drop-kicked back into the Pliocene Age where Megalodons devoured his body! YES! Oh, but the plot thickens! Let’s take a look at what REALLY happened to Dr. Doom!
Collector’s Guide: From Fantastic Four #554-569. Story by Mark Millar, Script by Joe Ahearne, Art by Stuart Immomen plus various inkers and colorists.
His Corpse Shall Make a Fine Meal for the Megalodons!
21 Wednesday Mar 2012
Tags
Bryan Hitch, dinosaur, Doom's Master, Dr. Doom, Fantastic Four, Mark Millar, Megalodon, time travel
Dr. Doom gets his evil butt drop-kicked back into the Pliocene Age where Megalodons devour his body!
Collector’s Guide:Â Features artwork by Bryan Hitch, from Hitch and Mark Millar’s 2009 run on Fantastic Four:Â Fantastic Four #554-569.
Jae Lee Gallery 2: ‘Ultimate’ Inhumans
05 Thursday Jan 2012
Posted in science fiction, superhero
Let’s look at more awesome art by Jae Lee! Here are some cerebellum-slashing pages from Ultimate Fantastic Four Annual #1, featuring The Inhumans.
The Original Invisible Woman!
15 Tuesday Nov 2011
Posted in crime, golden age
Tags
Famous Funnies, Fantastic Four, golden age, Invisible Girl, Invisible Scarlet O'Neil, Invisible Woman, Jack Kirby
You might recall that in 1961, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby unveiled a new super-hero team called the Fantastic Four. For their team, they invented the character of The Invisible Girl. Now that was originality.
Hey — Wait a minute! Did you know that twenty years earlier, in 1941, Famous Funnies published a series of adventures with their own Invisible Girl called Invisible Scarlet O’Neil?
Behold two of Invisible Scarlet O’Neil’s four-page adventures from Famous Funnies #89 and #90. Courtesy of the Digital Comic Museum.Â
We Can Bring Them Back Through Time!
31 Monday Oct 2011
Posted in science fiction, superhero
Today’s Galactus Gallery features artwork by Bryan Hitch, from his and Mark Millar‘s superbly entertaining Fantastic Four run in 2009: Fantastic Four #554-569. In this story, the Fantastic Four of the future capture Galactus… for a seemingly sinister purpose!
There are three runs on the Fantastic Four we especially love: Millar & Hitch, Lee & Kirby, and John Byrne. Okay, make that FOUR runs, because we loved Ultimate Fantastic Four from issue one through the end of Mike Carey’s run, plus the Thanos story that followed. The we got into that “Ultimatum” hogwash and lost interest.
You might also be interested in viewing our complete Galactus Gallery, our ever-popular Origin of Galactus, and our extensive Jack Kirby Gallery. Enjoy!
My Own Concerto – Played on This Keyboard with Hyper-Sound!
20 Thursday Oct 2011
Posted in superhero
“I shall offer them art — and music — to soothe their fears! And the piece de resistance shall be my own concerto — played on this keyboard with Hyper-Sound!“
Collector’s Guide: From Fantastic Four #87. Reprinted in Marvel’s Greatest Comics #69.
Stan Lee, script; Jack Kirby, Pencils; Joe Sinnot, Inks; Artie Simek, lettering.
Mars Will Send No More 